YOUNG LIVING FOR MOMS
This post is contributed by One Drop member – Charlene Tan
I’ve been sharing with mothers how to incorporate Young Living into their family’s lifestyle for the past 8 years, so with the arrival of Baby Aven, I was really excited to put my ‘theory’ into practice!
Baby Aven arrived through a drug-free birthing journey, and into a room filled with Joy essential oil. His daddy @RockstarPapasan (link to www.facebook.com/rockstarpapasan) eased him into our world by anointing him with Frankincense, Myrrh and Trauma Life the moment he was out. As our obstetrician remarked – a vaginal birth is the first and probably the most traumatic process for a human being, we wanted him to feel the security and love even though he was out of the womb. The aroma from the oils worked directly with his pineal and pituitary glands, allowing him to calm down despite the new and unfamiliar environment.
People always warned about the sleepless nights but that’s only the tip of the iceberg. No one prepared me for the motherhood journey. I was hoping to feel the warm, fuzzy feeling of love and joy but there was none. With the hormonal changes, I went through an emotional rollercoaster after birth and experienced postnatal depression. The essential oils came to my rescue during this extremely challenging period. Peace & Calming, Joy, Harmony and Sacred Mountain balanced my emotions, allowing me to feel centered and safe. I also applied Geranium and Progessence Phyto Plus to keep my hormones happy.
As a first time mum, I’m literally transformed back into a beginner. Everything had to be learned, unlearned or relearned. I had gained a new post partum body – loose skin, brain fog, memory loss, hard breasts, hair loss and backaches were all but some areas which I had to get used to. Ningxia Red, Super Cal, OmegaGize, Super C, Sulfurzyme were my best friends daily. I did not have to worry about my daily nutrition with our amazing Young Living supplements.
Surprisingly, caring for a baby was not tough at all. Pee, poop, nurse, sleep, play were the basic and easy aspects of motherhood; even sleep was not the issue. The crucial aspect no parents share publicly is the emotional stress that comes with parenthood.
“Are we doing enough? Are we doing it right?” These two questions kept coming up in the minds of both myself and my husband daily. We know for a fact that accidents happened with an active baby, but this prior knowledge did not ease the guilt or the self-blame when he fell down, knocked his head, or scratched his face. It was especially tough for RockstarPapasan who struggled initially with his new identity as a full time working father. We diffuse oils like Stress Away, Harmony, and Gathering essential oil blends while we had our daily conversation about our new role as parents.
Motherhood is a humbling journey of unlearning, discovery, embracing and empowerment. Too often, we fill ourselves with doubts, guilts, fears and worries. We focus on what’s wrong with us rather than the amazing miracle in our arms. Nurturing a baby from conception to birth and then embracing a lifetime of motherhood is a gift. You are the perfect mother to your child and you are doing enough. When you feel those negative emotions creeping in, try the following – apply Gathering on the crown of your head, Joy on your heart, Release on your chest, Forgiveness on your abdomen and Grounding on the base of your feet. As you apply these oils, affirm yourself by saying the following statements in your head or aloud – I forgive myself. I embrace myself. I am enough.
To all mothers-to-be and mothers young and old, we are all creators of miracles. Take a moment to celebrate yourself. Have a happy mothers’ day!
Charlene is a trained ontological coach who partners women in discovering and embracing their innate giftings and strengths. She has incorporated Young Living into her profession, and home. Today, she travels extensively to empower women in achieving balance and help other mothers embrace the Young Living lifestyle. Follow her adventures at www.mygiftroom.me or @minimomma on Instagram. If you like Charlene’s articles and would like to purchase the Young Living oils, please feel free to get in touch with Charlene or sign up directly here.
RESTFUL SLEEP FOR BABIES & MUMMIES
This post is contributed by One Drop member – Charlene Tan
As a first-time mum, sleep is a topic that has recently become especially close to my heart. The focus is for babies to sleep as much as possible so that mummies can rest well!
For reference, check out this baby, children and adult sleep chart:
| Years \ Per day | Total Sleep (hrs) | Night Time (hrs) | Naps (hrs) |
| Newborn ~ 4 months | 16 – 18 | 8 – 9 | 7 – 9 (3-5 naps) |
| 4 ~ 12 months | 12 – 16 | 9 – 10 | 4 – 5 (2-3 naps) |
| 1 ~ 2 years | 11 – 14 | 10 – 11 | 2 – 3 (1-2 naps) |
| 3 ~ 5 years | 10 – 13 | 10 – 11 | 0 – 1 |
| 6 ~ 12 years | 9 – 12 | 10 – 11 | 0 – 1 |
| Adults | 7 – 9 | 7 – 9 | 0 |
For newborns and babies, it is important to have them sleep as much as they can both in the day and at night. Many first-time parents are excited to introduce the world to the newborn and may over-engage the senses in the day. For some parents who would prefer the baby to sleep longer through the night may try to restrict naps in the day. These activities actually result in overtired babies and compromise on the quality of their sleep.
Both babies and adults thrive on having a routine and having a fixed sleep schedule allows you to have a well-deserved rest too. For me, this worked well for Baby Aven for 6 months! Having a schedule for him allowed me to find pockets of time to rest and sleep amidst the demands of being the primary caregiver.
At around 7 months however, Baby Aven decided that he was all grown up and naps are not for him. It was extremely difficult to get him to nap in the day. The maximum number of nap hours he would take in the day was 2 hours! The sudden change in his once predictable sleeping pattern threw me off guard. I was frustrated and upset with Baby Aven and would try ways and means to get him to stick to his old schedule. We can’t win a baby, can we? After one week with many failed attempts, it struck me – if he’s not following his schedule, then maybe the schedule needed to change to suit his new needs! After all, we are all unique individuals and will have different needs at different stages of growth.
Take time out to learn about your child’s needs and adapt your schedule accordingly. I focused on his total sleep hours instead of the number of naps in the day. So, I would have Baby Aven begin his sleep routine earlier at 5.30 – 6pm and if he wakes up earlier than 7am the next day, I would leave him in his cot and not engage him until his supposed wake time.
I’ve found the following routine and actions extremely useful in promoting a baby’s sleep:
1) Implement a fixed routine before bedtime
Performing the same set of actions daily from birth will help your baby recognise the cues for bedtime. Come up with your bedtime routine and do it every day. This is Aven’s bedtime routine for your reference:
- Wash his bum bum with Kidscents shower gel
- Sing a song and wipe him down with clean warm water
- Change into a new set of diaper
- Quick massage (see next point)
- Change into his long sleeves pyjamas
- Feed him his milk
- Pat to sleep
2) Gentle massage with Sensation Massage Oil
- Pump Sensation Massage Oil on hand and rub your palms together
- This action is to promote rest and bonding between mummy and baby. Therefore, technique is not important over here. Focus on your touch and build that connection with your child
3) Diffuse your child’s favourite essential oil
Some of my favourite oils for Baby Aven’s night time diffuser are:
Single Oils: Cedarwood, Idaho Balsam Fir, Northern Light Black Spruce, Pine, Cypress, Hinoki
Blends: Gentle Baby, Peace and Calming, Sacred Mountain, Stress Away
Blends: Gentle Baby, Peace and Calming, Sacred Mountain, Stress Away
You may notice that my choice of single oils consists of oils from big, tall trees. If you have ever been to the woods, you would have experienced a very special sense of serenity and calm. These oils from the big, tall trees help to promote a sense of security and stability. The blends, as evident in their names, promote the emotions that will support the baby in sleep and rest.
4) Sing or hum a lullaby
Honestly, the tune, pitch and lyrics do not matter to the baby. What your baby wants to hear is your voice, and to feel your calming presence. Apply some oils on your chest and neck, and allow yourself to unwind for the day too. Rockstarpapasan’s favourite tune is Edelweiss. Seems to work 90% of the time with Baby Aven.
These suggestions may help to promote rest for your baby and you too! Ultimately, you will want to pay attention to your baby’s growth and adapt your schedule accordingly. I pray that as mums, we get to rest as much as possible so that we may have the energy to give as much of ourselves to our families!
Charlene is a trained ontological coach who partners women in discovering and embracing their innate giftings and strengths. She has incorporated Young Living into her profession, and home. Today, she travels extensively to empower women in achieving balance and help other mothers embrace the Young Living lifestyle. Follow her adventures at www.mygiftroom.me or @minimomma on Instagram. If you like Charlene’s articles and would like to purchase the Young Living oils, please feel free to get in touch with Charlene or sign up directly here.
